Seasonal variation in sports participation

This study explores indicators describing socio-demographics, sports participation characteristics and motives which are associated with variation in sports participation across seasons. Data were drawn from the German Socio-Economic Panel which contains detailed information on the sports behaviour of adults in Germany. Overall, two different measures of seasonal variation are developed and used as dependent variables in our regression models. The first variable measures the coefficient of (seasonal) variation in sport-related energy expenditure per week. The second variable measures whether activity drops below the threshold as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results suggest that the organisational setting, the intensity and number of sports practised, and the motive for participation are strongly correlated with the variation measures used. For example, both, participation in a sports club and a commercial facility, are associated with reduced seasonal variation and a significantly higher probability of participating at a volume above the WHO threshold across all seasons. These findings give some impetus for policymaking and the planning of sports programmes as well as future research directions.     

Does inside passing contribute to the high incidence of groin injuries in soccer? A biomechanical analysis

Groin injuries are common in soccer and often cause time-loss from training. While groin injuries have been linked to full effort kicking, the role of inside passing is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate hip joint kinematics and muscle force, stress and contraction velocity for adductor longus and gracilis during inside passing. 3D kinematics of ten soccer players (23.4 yrs; 77.5 kg; 1.81 m) were captured with a motion capture system inside a Footbonaut. Muscle force and contraction velocity were determined with AnyBody Modelling System. Gracilis muscle forces were 9% lower compared to adductor longus (p = 0.005), but muscle stress was 183% higher in gracilis (p = 0.005). Contraction velocity reveals eccentric contraction of gracilis in the last quarter of the swing phase. Considering the combination of eccentric contraction, high muscle stress and the repetitive nature of inside passing, gracilis accumulates high loads in matches and training. These results indicate that the high incidence of groin injuries in soccer could be linked to isolated pass training. Practitioners need to be aware of the risk and refrain from sudden increases in the amount of pass training. This gives the musculoskeletal system time to adapt and might avoid career threatening injuries.     

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance Among Young Adults in a Higher Education Setting

Purpose: Acute benefits of aerobic exercise on executive functioning have been reported frequently under laboratory conditions. However, to date, a beneficial effect on long-term memory has been less well supported and no data are available regarding nonlaboratory conditions in young adults. The aim of the current study was to investigate acute effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive functioning in a university classroom setting. Method: Using a cross-over design, 51 participants performed a bout of moderately intense running (RUN) and read an article while seated (CON). Afterwards, they completed free-recall tests, followed by a Flanker task and an n-back task. Results: Participants in the RUN condition compared with those in the CON condition showed shorter reaction time on the inhibition task, F(1, 50) = 5.59, p = .022, η² = .101, and recalled more words in the immediate- and delayed-recall tests, F(1, 50) = 8.40, p = .006, η² = .144. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that a moderately intense bout of aerobic exercise benefits verbal short-term and long-term memory as well as inhibitory control among students in a classroom setting.     

Sportbezogenes Handeln in virtuellen sozialen Netzwerken

Adolescent living environments are highly influenced by the media and virtual social networks are becoming increasingly more important as mediators of the social environment and as distinct realities. In virtual rooms adolescents can interact, present themselves, show their social embedding in relationships and groups, and experience recognition and affirmation. Social networks offer space for dealing with juvenile developmental tasks and productive negotiations of identities. The increase in internet-based leisure patterns in adolescence is often described as a displacement of sport activities, although current studies report rather independent or engaging relations between physical and media activities. In social networks, such as facebook or instagram, a multitude of sporting scenes and topics can be found, whether this involves (audio)visual representations of individual sport activties, fan affiliation to professional sport, or virtual fitness programs. This study analyzes the meaning and relevance of the sport-related use of social networks for sport activties and the development of sporting identities. In qualitative guideline interviews with young adults (n =10) from various sporting contexts, three meaningful threads of a sport-related use of social networks for sport activities were identified: organization of sport activities, improvement of sporting abilities, and increase in motivation. Furthermore, the interviews disclosed three relevant concepts of sporting identities within the sport-related use of social networks that largely correspond with developmental tasks. The empirical findings reveal differentiated insights into the meaning of the sport-related use of social networks and confirm a high relevance for sport activities of young adults and the development and negotiation of their sporting identities.     

Using Performance-Based Assessments to Prepare Safe Science Teachers

Standard 9 of the National Science Teachers Association Standards for Science Teacher Preparation is designed to ensure that science teacher preparation programs provide preservice science teachers with the knowledge and skills to understand and successfully engage students in a safe and ethical manner. This standard contains four components describing science teachers’ legal and ethical responsibilities, appropriate use of instructional materials (chemicals in particular), emergency procedures and safety equipment, and guidelines for proper use of living organisms in the classroom. In this article, we describe the requirements of Standard 9 and provide guidance on assessments that can be used to present evidence for preservice teachers’ competence in each of the four components.     

Analysepotenziale des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) für die empirische Bildungsforschung

In Germany, the main datasets available for addressing empirical educational research questions are cross-sectional data, which are often supplemented by state-specific or group-specific longitudinal surveys. The latter are usually focused on specific transitions in the educational system. The challenge of an approach to educational research that takes the perspective of life-course theory, however, lies in analyzing educational and competency development across the entire life span and the dependence of these processes on institutional and individual environment contexts. The present paper shows the opportunities that the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), a household and individual survey now running for over 25 years, offers for empirical educational research aimed at confronting such research challenges. In addition to outlining the available educational information and methodological innovations in the SOEP’s education-related survey program, we also describe the survey’s comparative strengths, particularly for educational analyses stretching ‘from the cradle to the grave’ and dealing with intergenerational and familial contexts.     

Ergebnisse nationaler und internationaler Forschung zu schulischen Innovationsnetzwerken

Accompanied by the increasing relevance of school networks, there are a lot of reports available in national and international research regarding this topic. However, a compact summary of those studies and their findings is missing by now. Therefore, this article synthesizes the current research on school networks. Starting with the introduction of theoretical concepts for a better understanding of academic innovation networks, the article examines the empirical findings concerning those networks. This examination is conducted separately for German language and English language research. According to the presented findings, a consistent positive effect of school networks can be traced. The article concludes with a discussion of future research potentials concerning networks. Concrete suggestions for methodical and theoretical designs regarding network research are submitted.